St. Louis Fashion Week Emerging Designer Competition

I'm back today with some more coverage from St. Louis Fashion Week!  While sickness prevented me from attending some of the Fashion Week events I had originally planned, I did make it out to the Emerging Designer Competition.

Before the runway show, there were presentations by several designers.  Guest voted on these presentations to choose the winner of the $2500 prize for the "Designers to Watch" competition.

With her dark and interesting collection, designer Truly Alvarenga took home the prize!  The mermaid dress was impeccable, and the crimson maxi skirt look was cool girl chic.

Truly Avarenga

Paulie Gibson

Michael Drummond

Nasheli Ortiz

Trang Nguyen

I really enjoyed the pop-up shopping area with local designers and artists, like Michael Drummond, Cameo de Bore, Hyper Haute, and Grace Kubilius, selling their fab clothes, jewelry, and purses.

I was extremely cash poor that day, so I didn't buy anything, but I am heavily contemplating one of Grace Kubilius' necklaces.  Such a statement piece!

Grace Kubilius

Art meets fashion

I WANT ONE!! :-D

Michael Drummond
Project Runway alum, Michael Drummond's gorgeous soft knits with glittery threads are fall ready.  I really loved his creative ponchos that can be worn in multiple ways.

Adam Foster Fine Jewelry

Hyper Haute

Then, the fashion show started!

Presented by Brown Shoe Company, the winning collection took home an amazing $15,000 prize to build their collections.  Six finalists showed their Spring collections on the runway, and they did not disappoint!

Harbison Collection
My absolute favorite collection of the night was presented by Charles Harbison.  The amazing tailoring, whimsical details, and great use of color delighted me and the crowd who audibly cheered at many of his designs.  The collection had a clear 1940s vibe, while implementing modern shapes and details.  It was genius!

Remi Canarie

Wai Ming

Jessie Liu

Collina Strada

Daniella Kallmeyer
Last but not least, the grand prize winner of the night...Daniella Kallmeyer!!  Her elegant minimalist collection featured lovely pleating detail and a mostly neutral color palette of which I'm always a big fan.  The flowy white dress and pleated skirt were my favorite pieces.

A panel of fashion experts determined the winner, and judge Fern Mallis, founder of New York Fashion Week, presented Kallmeyer with the win!  But, there was a surprise twist...Charles Harbison was awarded $3500 as a runner-up, courtesy of Gary Wassner, a fashion financier and judge for the competition.

Do you have a favorite collection?  Who would get your vote and why?

*** Runway photos courtesy of Mark Schwigen for Alive Magazine

Silk and Chiffon

So yesterday was my birthday.  I had to work, but I wanted a pretty outfit.

Skirt:  Ann Taylor

Jacket:  Torrid (Available here)

Necklace:  11 Twenty Eight Designs (Similar here)

I opted for my incredibly shrinking chiffon skirt (I've had it hemmed twice now - see here and here) and mixed it with a plum silk camisole.

Camisole:  Ann Taylor Petites

Since the top is a little low cut, I threw on a scarf for coverage.  A lightweight cardigan kept me warm in the office.

Scarf:  LOFT
Satchel:  Express

Cardigan:  LOFT Petites

For dinner later that evening, I ditched the scarf and opted for a faux leather moto jacket to add a rougher touch to the overtly feminine look. 

Purse:  Eva Mendes for New York & Company (Available here)

I can't be all softness and light!  ;-D

Boots:  Fergalicious by Fergie

Tights:  The Limited

For the cami in other looks, see here and here.
For the cardigan in other looks, see here, here, here, here, here, and here.
For the jacket in another look, see here.

Brights and Leopard

Happy Hump Day, everyone! 

Jumpsuit:  Torrid (Available here)

It's actually hard to believe the work week is more than half over!   Today is my birthday, so that automatically makes it a good day!  :-)

I'll be sharing my birthday look on the blog soon, but today, I'm posting yesterday's work look.

Blazer:  New York & Company

Heels:  Target (Similar here)

I've been wearing so many neutrals and muted colors lately that I thought the blog was due up for something a little more bold.

For work yesterday, I fashioned my jumpsuit for work by adding the blue blazer, leopard pumps, and a cami for added coverage for the office.  The cami also helped keep me warm with the virtual undressing that took place with every use of the facilities.  ;-)

Belt:  Torrid (Available here)

Bag:  Express

To add a little more flair, I went with gold accessories and a bright orange lip.

Necklace:  The Limited

Would you wear a jumpsuit to work?

For this jumpsuit in other looks, see here and here.
For the blazer in other looks, see here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Day To Night Minimalism

Hope your week is off to a good start!  I'm sorry I've been gone from the blogosphere for a while.

I've been so busy with work and fun time and haven't had a lot of time or energy for blogging. For me, blogging has ups and downs. When I start to feel blogger burnout, I try to step back a bit instead of forcing myself to write without passion.  While I take my blogging seriously, I never want it to feel like just another "job."

Skirt:  The Limited

It's kind of nice to be living life though, having fun playing board games with the kids and getting ready for Halloween, going to fashion shows, and spending a little time with the man.  Sometimes, I get so bogged down between my paid job and blogging that I let myself lose focus on actually living!!

I'm feeling a little more refreshed and have several posts planned, including today's outfit post featuring yesterday's work look with a day to night twist.

Top:  New York & Company (Available here)

Here, a statement making necklace helps bring together a solid pencil skirt, trapeze top, and blazer.

I love minimalist looks, but I would be bored by this outfit if it weren't for the necklace and textured bag.  For me, basic pieces usually require a little something extra to help make a look feel interesting and more unique.

Blazer:  The Limited (Similar here)
Satchel:  The Limited

While this outfit felt polished and professional for work, I would swap out the black blazer for a moto jacket for a super quick day to night switch.

Jacket:  Torrid (Available here)

FYI, I normally wear a size 0 at Torrid and sized up to a 1 in this jacket to get a more relaxed and slightly longer fit in this cropped jacket. 

I plan on getting the sleeves shortened soon, but otherwise, I'm happy with the fit.



Boots:  Target

Earrings:  New York & Company

Do you have any quick day to night wardrobe tricks?  Which look do you prefer? 

For this skirt in other looks, see here and here.
For this blazer in other looks, see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Slip Into Black

Happy Thursday, everyone! 

I'm excited that the work week is almost over, and we're expecting an unseasonably warm weekend!  I'm looking forward to fun fall weekend plans - a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a fashion show, and pumpkin picking!!  :-D

I'm also seriously contemplating Halloween costumes.  It's my favorite holiday, mostly because I love the fun of dressing up.  I'm planning a make-shift costume to wear while taking the kids trick-or-treating!

Dress:  Ann Taylor

While my mind may be more on costumes, today, I'm talking alterations.

I previously featured this dress here in a petite x-large and found the fit a little large. I mentioned that I wanted to give it a go in a average size large.  The overall fit of the dress was a bit better, but it was even longer than the petite dress, which was already too long.

So, I had it taken up to a below-the-knee length and had the side slits raised.

I'm much happier with the overall fit and can't wait to try this dress out with printed tights and stockings as the weather continues to cool.

Vest:  The Limited

Earrings:  NY&CO and The Limited (Available here and here)

Clutch:  Amazon.com (Similar here)
Ring:  Earthbound Trading Company

This look with the moto vest was planned for a month or two ago, but unfortunately, it took me this long (note the brown hair in the "before" pic) to get the dress hemmed. 

I like this outfit for an early fall transitional look when it's still warm outside but your mind is on autumn.

Heels:  Payless

For those of you in warmer climates, it would likely still be a good choice.  :-)

Bracelet:  The Limited

Are you a fan of moto vests?

For this vest in another look, see here.